Players of the Week
Offensive Player of the Week
Kleverson Bolanos, Queens
Junior | Midfield | Cali, Colombia
Bolanos starred for Queens during a 1-0-1 week, recording four points on one goal and two assists, including a game-winner. Bolanos opened the week with a career-best three-point performance, tallying his second goal and third assist of the season in the Knights' 2-1 victory over Adelphi. With 17 seconds remaining, the junior curled a shot from approximately 15 yards out into the top-left corner, beating the Adelphi goalkeeper to secure the dramatic victory. In Saturday's 2-2 ECC tie against Molloy, Bolanos recorded his fourth assist of the season, setting up senior Andrew Johnson's goal as the Knights scored twice in a span of 34 seconds.
Defensive Player of the Week
Alexander Stevens-Lee, District of Columbia
Senior | Midfield | Cambridge, England
Stevens-Lee played a pivotal role in the Firebirds' defensive success this week, helping secure two consecutive shutouts in a 1-0 victory over nationally ranked No. 18 Concord and a 3-0 conference win over CSI. A natural midfielder, Stevens-Lee has stepped into the backline and made an immediate impact, contributing to key defensive plays and strengthening the team's defensive presence. Since his transition to the backline, the Firebirds have remained undefeated.
Goalkeeper of the Week
Lorenzo Herrera, District of Columbia
Freshman | Goalkeeper | Alexandria, Virginia
Herrera went 2-0 on the week, recording two shutouts to lead the Firebirds to a pair of victories. In UDC's 1-0 win over No. 18 Concord, Herrera recorded a game-high eight saves to preserve the shutout and secure the victory over a nationally-ranked opponent. He followed that performance with four saves in a 3-0 conference win over Staten Island. Herrera totaled 12 saves across 180 minutes while allowing zero goals, playing a pivotal role in the Firebirds' undefeated week.
Rookie of the Week
Massimo Bruno, Molloy
Freshman | Forward | Oyster Bay, NY
Bruno provided a spark off the bench Saturday evening, tallying a second-half brace to help Molloy draw with Queens, 2-2, on Saturday. Entering the match in the second half, Bruno found the back of the net twice in a 17-minute span. The Molloy freshman brought the Lions to within one with a header following a corner kick in the 48th minute before netting the game-tying goal in the 65th minute with a blistering shot into the upper corner.
Weekly Honor Roll
Keithlend Cesar, Queens
Senior | Forward | Brooklyn, NY
Cesar recorded three points during Queens' 1-0-1 week, tallying one goal and one assist. With 17 seconds remaining against Adelphi, Cesar set up junior Kleverson Bolanos, who curled a shot into the top-left corner to secure the Knights' 2-1 victory. On Saturday, in the 2-2 tie against Molloy, Cesar scored an Olimpico goal directly from a corner kick on the right side of the pitch to record his sixth goal of the season.
Anton Mand, Queens
Graduate Student | Defender | Muenster, Germany
Mand helped Queens post a 1-0-1 record during the week. In the 2-1 victory over Adelphi, Mand registered his second assist of the season on Jason Udo's equalizer in the 63rd minute. With the score tied at 1-1, Mand and the back line limited Adelphi to two shots on goal over the final 25 minutes to help secure the comeback victory. On Saturday, Mand and the back line held Molloy without a shot in the first half before limiting the Lions to one shot on goal over the final 25 minutes of the 2-2 tie, as both sides earned a point in the ECC standings.
Dante Muntane, St. Thomas Aquinas
Sophomore | Goalkeeper | Rosario, Argentina
Muntane went 1-0-0 on the week with a 2-0 shutout victory against Roberts Wesleyan. The STAC sophomore made two saves to earn his fourth clean sheet of the season.
Shawn Richardson, D'Youville
Junior | Midfield | Gothenburg, Sweden
Richardson scored the game-winning PK in the Saints' 1-0 win over No. 17 Mercy. The DYU junior stays perfect in PKs with his sixth of the season.
Matthew Solorio, D'Youville
Junior | Goalkeeper | Kansas City, MO
Solorio recorded another clean sheet for the Saints for his seventh clean sheet of the season. The DYU junior recorded four key saves to keep No. 17 Mercy scoreless in the Saints' 1-0 win.
Cody Williams, District of Columbia
Freshman | Midfield | Treorchy, Wales
Williams played a key role in UDC's 2-0 week, scoring in both Firebird victories. Williams netted the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over No. 18 Concord, delivering the decisive finish against a nationally-ranked opponent. He continued his scoring form in a 3-0 conference victory over Staten Island, adding another goal to help secure the shutout win.
Lennox Zapel, D'Youville
Freshman | Forward | Hamburg, Germany
Zapel was the standout in the Saints' non-conference win against Assumption on Wednesday as the freshman recorded the game-tying and game-winning goals to lift the Saints to a 3-2 victory.
2026 ECC Men's Soccer Weekly Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Week
Aug. 31 – Jacob Darwesh Lund-Iversen (Mercy)
Sep. 7 – Tommy Gunn (Queens)
Sep. 14 – Jacob Darwesh Lund-Iversen (Mercy) (2x)
Sep. 21 – Bradyn Brown (Queens)
Sep. 28 – Jack Veletanga (Molloy)
Oct. 5 – Omar Daoudi (D'Youville)
Oct. 12 – Shawn Richardson (D'Youville)
Oct. 19 – Kleverson Bolanos (Queens)
Defensive Player of the Week
Aug. 31 – Tommy Wagner (Queens)
Sep. 7 – Philip Hauge (Mercy)
Sep. 14 – Anton Mand (Queens)
Sep. 21 – Anton Mand (Queens) (2x)
Sep. 28 – Pau Ramon (Mercy)
Oct. 5 – Philip Hauge (Mercy) (2x)
Oct. 12 – Aiden Ambeau (Roberts Wesleyan)
Oct. 19 – Alexander Stevens-Lee (District of Columbia)
Goalkeeper of the Week
Aug. 31 – Matthew Solorio (D'Youville)
Sep. 7 – Harry Cooke (Mercy)
Sep. 14 – Matthew Solorio (D'Youville) (2x)
Sep. 21 – Carlos Romero Astacio (Staten Island)
Sep. 28 – Dante Muntane (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Oct. 5 – Sean Green (Mercy)
Oct. 12 – Dante Muntane (St. Thomas Aquinas) (2x)
Oct. 19 – Lorenzo Herrera (District of Columbia)
Rookie of the Week
Aug. 31 – Lorenzo Herrera (District of Columbia)
Sep. 7 – Stian Haugland (Queens)
Sep. 14 – Ewan Brodie (D'Youville)
Sep. 21 – Stian Haugland (Queens) (2x)
Sep. 28 – Dylan Meadows (Staten Island)
Oct. 5 – Dylan Meadows (Staten Island) (2x)
Oct. 12 – Mason Simmons (Roberts Wesleyan)
Oct. 19 – Massimo Bruno (Molloy)
2026 ECC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Queens - 80 points (8 first-place votes)
2. Roberts Wesleyan - 71 points (1 first-place vote)
3. Mercy - 56 points
4. St. Thomas Aquinas - 54 points
5. District of Columbia - 44 points
6. Molloy - 39 points
7. D'Youville - 30 points
8. Staten Island - 20 points
9. Daemen - 11 points
***
Founded as the New York Collegiate Athletic Conference in 1989 and rechristened the East Coast Conference in July 2006, the ECC was formed to enhance intercollegiate athletic competition among member institutions and to assist them in integrating athletics into their academic program in a fiscally sound way. The ECC is committed to the highest standards of scholarship, sportsmanship, teamwork, and citizenship. Its mission is to promote the total person concept in its student-athletes, which stresses the abilities to excel in academic achievement, athletic competition, and positive character traits. East Coast Conference members include: Daemen University (Amherst, N.Y.); University of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.); D'Youville University (Buffalo, N.Y.); Mercy University (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.); Molloy University (Rockville Centre, N.Y.); Queens College (Flushing, N.Y.); Roberts Wesleyan University (Rochester, N.Y.); College of Staten Island (Staten Island, N.Y.); and St. Thomas Aquinas College (Sparkill, N.Y.). The ECC also is home to 13 associate members in the sports of women's bowling (3), men's and women's indoor track & field (3), men's volleyball (2), field hockey (1), and men's lacrosse (1).
The ECC sponsors the following championship sports: baseball; men's and women's basketball; women's bowling; men's and women's cross country; field hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; men's and women's indoor track and field; men's and women's outdoor track and field; men's and women's soccer; softball; and men's and women's volleyball.
The East Coast Conference is a proud member of the NCAA and Division II. Division II is a dynamic and engaging group of colleges, institutions and conferences of varying sizes and educational missions. Division II members encourage and support diversity; value sportsmanship, fairness and equity; and place the highest priority on the overall educational excellence of the student-athlete.